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3 murderers freed in Australia after court ruled out holding migrants indefinitely, minister says

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 07:01:55 GMT

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Three murderers are among 81 foreigners recently released in Australia after the High Court ruled their indefinite detention in migrant centers was unconstitutional, the immigration minister said on Tuesday.The court hasn’t released the reasons behind its ruling last week that overturned a 2004 precedent that stateless people could be detained indefinitely.The Melbourne-based Human Rights Law Center reported last month that 127 people had been detained more than five years. The average was 709 days.Australia’s center-left government had argued against the release of the foreign and stateless detainees whom Australia does not want to resettle and other countries are reluctant to accept.Opposition lawmakers called them “hardcore criminals” and accused the government of endangering the public by releasing them.Immigration Minister Andrew Giles said the released foreigners included three murderers and several sex offenders. He offered to give deput...

Stock market today: Asian shares are mostly higher ahead of US inflation data and a US-China summit

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 07:01:55 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares were mostly higher Tuesday ahead of potentially market-moving developments, including a U.S.-China summit and data releases from the U.S., Japan and China.Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 gained 0.3% to finish at 32,695.93. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 advanced 0.8% to 7,006.70. South Korea’s Kospi added 1.3% to 2,435.33. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was little changed, falling less than 0.1% to 17,418.94 while the Shanghai Composite edged up 0.2% to 3,052.37. “Asian stocks gained ground as investors awaited U.S. inflation figures, hoping to confirm that interest rates have peaked. Meanwhile, positive geopolitical sentiments filled the backdrop as investors looked forward to anticipated talks between the U.S. and China,” Stephen Innes, managing partner at SPI Asset Management, said in a written commentary.China is due to release monthly economic indicators on Wednesday, and Japan will announce its latest growth numbers. On Wednesday, Chinese lea...

Rescue operation to save 40 workers trapped under a collapsed tunnel in north India enters 3rd day

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 07:01:55 GMT

LUCKNOW, India (AP) — Rescuers are working around the clock Tuesday to remove debris to extract 40 workers who have been trapped for over two days after an under-construction tunnel collapsed in northern India. Officials hope to extricate them in the next 24 hours.A 2.5-foot (0.76 meter)-wide steel pipe will be pushed through an opening of excavated debris with the help of hydraulic jacks to safely pull out the stranded workers, authorities said.About 200 rescuers from federal and state disaster relief agencies are using drilling equipment and excavators to reach them.The tunnel collapsed Sunday in Uttarakhand, a mountainous state dotted with Hindu temples that attract many pilgrims and tourists. The tunnel is part of the busy Chardham all-weather road, a flagship federal government project connecting various Hindu pilgrimage sites.Senior government official Ranjit Sinha said falling debris has been hindering the rescue operation and added they expect to free the workers by Tuesday ...

Live updates | Thousands more flee northern Gaza as Israeli troops battle Palestinian militants

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 07:01:55 GMT

Fighting between Israeli troops and Palestinian militants in northern Gaza caused another 200,000 people to flee south in the past 10 days, the U.N. humanitarian office said Tuesday.The humanitarian office, known as OCHA, said only one hospital in the north is capable of treating patients. Some of the fighting is around hospitals where patients, newborns and medics are stranded with no electricity and dwindling supplies. Israel accuses Hamas of using hospitals as cover for its fighters, alleging that Hamas has set up its main command center in and beneath Shifa hospital, the largest in the besieged territory. Both Hamas and Shifa hospital staff deny the Israeli allegations.The southern part of Gaza is not much safer. Israel carries out frequent airstrikes against what it says are militant targets that often kill women and children.More than two-thirds of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million have fled their homes since the war began.Gaza City, the largest urban area in the territory, is ...

Kazakhstan attends first 'Central Asia – G7' ministerial meeting

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 07:01:55 GMT

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Roman Vassilenko participated in the first ministerial meeting of the Central Asian and G7 countries that took place in an online format. Prospects for cooperation in the fields of regional security, economy, transport, energy and investment, combating global warming and protecting the environment, water management, as well as tourism were discussed at the meeting. In his remarks, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan stressed the importance of expanding trade ties, increasing the involvement of the G7 economies in the region, as well as developing the potential of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route in connecting key industrial centers of Europe and Asia. Roman Vassilenko further noted that Kazakhstan is committed to joint measures to counter modern global and regional challenges, in particular, solving the emergency in the field of climate, food crisis, and water issues as well as saving the Aral Sea. Kazakhstan’s pl...

Young woman found dead in Orange County identified

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 07:01:55 GMT

A tight-knit Orange County community is in shock after the body of a 27-year-old woman was found dead in an alley behind an old movie theater and a restaurant Sunday.  Officers with Laguna Beach Police Department responded after a construction worker discovered the  body of Tatum Goodwin “down in a secluded location” at around 8:20 a.m. near the 200 block of Ocean Avenue, a news release from the LBPD stated.  Police added that her body showed trauma consistent with a homicide.  “She was just such a loving, honest person,” a friend of the 27-year-old, Aleena Macintosh, told KTLA’s Mary Beth McDade. “You just wouldn’t think that anything would happen to her.”  Others who knew her say they are still in disbelief that the young, attractive member of their community was found under these tragic circumstances.  Tatum Goodwin, 27, was found dead in Laguna Beach on Nov. 12, 2023. Tatum Goodwin, 27, was found dead in Laguna Beach on Nov. 12, 2023. Tatum Goodwin, 27, was f...

Family of Joseph Gatto, shot, killed 10 years ago, still hoping for justice

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 07:01:55 GMT

The family of 78-year-old Joseph Gatto, who was shot to death inside his Silver Lake home 10 years ago, is still waiting for answers, but former State Assemblyman Mike Gatto said his family remains hopeful that his father’s killer will be found, and justice will be served.  Firefighters were called at about 8:15 p.m. on Nov. 13, 2013, to conduct a death investigation at a residence in the 2800 block of Bright Lane, where they found the body of the 78-year-old, slumped over at a desk, according to Lt. Richard Parks of the Los Angeles Police Department. “The last ten years for me have...sometimes its felt like an obsession,” the former assemblyman told KTLA’s Samantha Cortese.  He said he has spent the last decade wondering, investigating, publicly asking who killed his father.  “I poured over every single clue,” Mike said. “I have interviewed everybody in the neighborhood. I’ve searched for as many different things as I can.”  Joseph Gatto was shot in the stomach ...

Goalies Lundqvist, Vernon and Barrasso headline latest class inducted into Hall of Fame

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 07:01:55 GMT

TORONTO (AP) — Henrik Lundqvist played a starring role at Madison Square Garden for 15 seasons.The New York Rangers legend fed off the energy inside the world’s most famous arena — and a city where many athletes have wilted under the same spotlight’s intense glow.It also led the Swede into the Hockey Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.Lundqvist headlined a goaltender-heavy 2023 class inducted Monday that also featured Mike Vernon and Tom Barrasso — the first time three netminders have entered together in more than 60 years.“Seven-by-three meter sandpit at a kindergarten up in Are, Sweden, to Madison Square Garden and now Hockey Hall of Fame — it’s just an incredible feeling,” Lundqvist said in his speech Monday. “And I try to remember what I was thinking back then as an eight-year-old skating around.“So much love for the game of hockey.”Also enshrined in the player category were Pierre Turgeon and Caroline Ouellete, while former NHL head coach Ken Hitchcock and the late P...

Too many injuries, turnovers and a too many men penalty costs Bills in loss to Broncos

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 07:01:55 GMT

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Too many injuries. Too many turnovers. Too many men.Too many things continued piling up for Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills to overcome in a 24-22 loss to the Denver Broncos on Monday night.The Bills (5-5) turned the ball over four times, with Allen throwing two interceptions and losing a fumble. Buffalo’s injury-depleted defense — missing five starters — sagged in allowing Russell Wilson to march the Broncos on a 10-play, 57-yard drive that ended with Wil Lutz hitting a 36-yard field goal as time expired.Lutz got the benefit of a do-over after his initial 41-yard attempt sailed wide right, but the miss was negated due to the Bills having 12 players on the field.“It’s inexcusable,” coach Sean McDermott said. “We practice that two or three times a week, the substitution from dime to field-goal block and at the end of the day, we didn’t execute it.”He had few other answers on what might be required to address the many other issues the three-time defending AF...

Draisaitl has goal, 3 assists as Oilers beat Islanders 4-1 in Knoblauch’s coaching debut

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 07:01:55 GMT

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Leon Draisaitl had a goal and three assists, Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist, and Edmonton beat the New York Islanders 4-1 on Monday night in Kris Knoblauch’s debut as Oilers coach.Zach Hyman and Evander Kane also scored for Edmonton and Stuart Skinner stopped 32 shots. The Oilers got their first home victory of the season and got their second straight win overall after losing four in a row.Mathew Barzal scored for the Islanders and Ilya Sorokin finished with 28 saves. New York five in a row, including four straight in regulation.It was Knoblauch’s first game since taking over for the fired Jay Woodcroft on Sunday following the Oilers’ 3-9-1 start.AVALANCHE 5, KRAKEN 1SEATTLE (AP) — Mikko Rantanen and Ross Colton scored two minutes apart midway through the second period and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Seattle Kraken 5-1 on Monday night.Cale Makar, Jonathan Drouin, and Valerie Nichuskin also scored for the Avalanche. Nathan MacKinnon had three ass...